CACO Structure

 

Notice   |   June 21 2012

CEO-ECO will not be changing the design of the CACO skills components as had been originally planned for fall 2012. Information about the CACO content and structure is contained in the Guide to the CACO.

 

The CACO is comprised of six components, each of which represents a distinct and essential collection of attributes and competencies of an optometrist. The presence of all six components of competence in an individual is necessary for the profession of optometry in Canada to recognize that individual as a competent optometrist. Each component is tested using either written examinations or performance examinations. The Guide to the CACO will provide you with additional information on the subject matter of the Component and the distribution of questions within the subject matter. 

 

Each of the Following Six components of the CACO must be individually passed in order to successfully COMPLETE THE CACO

Ocular Therapeutics
The Ocular Therapeutics component consists of 120 multiple choice questions relating to the use of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents and is administered in one 3 hour session. Questions focus on:
 
- General Microbiology
- General Immunology
 
- General Pharmacology
- Ocular Pharmacology
 
- Ocular Disease/Trauma: Treatment, Management & Prognosis
Synthesis
The Synthesis component consists of 248 multiple choice questions relating to 62 different case scenarios and is administered in two sessions of 3.5 and 4 hours. Cases focus on:
 
- Refractive conditions of the eye and their management
 
- Accommodative conditions of the eye and vision system and their treatment and management
 
- Oculomotor conditions of the eye and vision system and their treatment and management
 
- Sensory-integrative conditions of the eye and vision system and their treatment and management
 
- Ocular disease and trauma and its treatment and management
 
- Systemic disease and its treatment and management
Clinical Skills Components
The four skills components consist of the accurate performance of common clinical techniques performed associated with four different clinical scenarios. These four components are administered in four 1 hour sessions as follows:
 
Clinical Skills Component 1: Interviewing and assessing refractive and accommodative conditions
 
 
- Patient Interview
- Visual Acuity
 
 
- Interpupillary Distance & Static Retinoscopy
- Subjective Refraction
 
 
- Nearpoint Addition
- Interpersonal & Communication Skills
 
Clinical Skills Component 2: Assessing Oculomotor and Sensory-Integrative functions
 
 
- Cover Tests at Distance
- Cover Tests at Near
 
 
- Maddox Rod Test
- Amplitude of Accommodation
 
 
- Extraocular Muscle Functions
- Nearpoint of Convergence
 
 
- Fusional Vergence Ranges
- Stereoacuity
 
 
- Pupillary Testing
- Interpersonal & Communication Skills
 
Clinical Skills Component 3: Assessing Ocular and System Disease
 
 
- Confrontation Visual Fields
- Applanation Tonometry
 
 
- Biomicroscopy
- Direct Ophthalmoscopy
 
 
- Fundus Lens with Biomicroscopy
- Gonioscopy
 
 
- Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscopy
- Interpersonal & Communication Skills
 
Clinical Skills Component 4: Assessing Ophthalmic Appliances
 
 
- Keratometry
- Preparation/placement of rigid gas permeable lens
 
 
- Preparation/Placement of Soft Contact Lens
- Lensometry & Verification of Spectacles
 
 
- Adjustment of Spectacles/Frames
- Diagnostic RGP Contact Lens & Removal
 
 
- Diagnostic Soft Contact Lens & Removal
- Interpersonal & Communication Skills

 

 

 

 
 
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